I recently began my MD/PhD training and will soon choose a thesis laboratory. I have completed my first lab rotation in the laboratory of Dr. Jean Hebert. I am strongly considering it for my thesis project. His lab uses conditional genetic approaches like cre/lox recombination to study forebrain development in vivo. The purpose is to identify the factors involved in proliferation and differentiation of neural stem and progenitor cells and their role in forebrain patterning. Identifying the different signals both during development and in the adult brain will be crucial in elucidating the molecular mechanism of some developmental and neurodegenerative diseases but more importantly, will lay the foundation for regenerative therapies. By studying development I will combine my interests in neurodegenerative disorders, and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. It would also give me the opportunity to study biochemical pathways, such as those involved in self-renewal, which might participate in cancer biology, specifically brain tumors. For my second rotation I am considering the lab of Dr. Zaven Kaprielian, where a combination of model organisms are being used to study spinal cord formation with the aim of developing therapies for spinal cord injuries.